


Old Mistakes

by clarkjoekent



Series: Sakumo Week 2020 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Minor Violence, Sakumo Week 2020, Sakumo gets a genin team, Shikaku's scars origin story, blood and minor torture, the mission goes south
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarkjoekent/pseuds/clarkjoekent
Summary: Sakumo thought he was being punished for his mission that went so far south he almost didn't return to Konoha. Instead he realized that his new little genin are helping him heal.Sakumo Week 2020Day one - Prompt - Enemies
Series: Sakumo Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904620
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27
Collections: Sakumo Week 2020





	Old Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO ITS ME WITH ANOTHER WEEK! This time it's Sakumo. He deserves love.

Sakumo looked around before giving his team the signal. Being in charge of his own little team sent his anxiety through the roof. Sakumo was known for being a lone wolf, why the Hokage thought it would be a good idea to become a Jonin Sensei was beyond him.

He guesses it was some sort of punishment for his part in the last mission he went on. He was lucky he wasn't vilified or strung up for it. Hiruzen had a soft spot for him and made sure people kept their mouths shut.

On top of being worried about his team, he was worried about his 5 year old son. The last place he wanted to be was lost or attacked in the woods with his new team never to return home. He glazed back at his team and sighed. They were falling behind. 

Yamanaka Inoichi. Tall kid, angry for whatever reason, seemed to hate mud which baffled Sakumo seeing as how his whole family dabbles in dirt. 

Akimichi Choza. Calm, quiet, and he was hard to read. Needed shinobi pills every other mile, family's special blend only. 

Nara Shikaku. Tiny and very observant. He knows every button to press. Not so great when they are in the middle of a mission but just like his father, he knows the ins and outs of every situation. Unfortunately it was Sakumo's fault that Shikaku's parents had died so he can't tell if the kid was pissed off at him, his observations are unnerving. Shikaku reminded Sakumo of his son.

This was their first mission outside of the village. They had to go to Kiri and pass over some important papers, finally ending this part of the war. If Konoha could persuade Kiri to stop the fight, they could focus on mending the relationship with Suna.

They sloshed through the rain and mud until they were able to rest at an old ANBU hideout. Sakumo remembered the entrance and rushed the kids into the house. All three of the kids ran to their own separate corners and decided to sleep while they could.

Sakumo settled in the middle so he could watch the kids. His mind wandered to how his son was, and how Minato and Kushina were taking care of him. His son was known to cause problems for any adult. The last time he told his son to go easy on adults, Kakashi just rolled his eyes and spouted off about how shinobi should be aware of how they are holding themselves.

"Sakumo-sensei? What are we going to do when the sun comes up?" Choza shook Sakumo out of his trance.

"We have the paperwork to just walk into Kiri but I do want to have a back up plan. Shikaku and I will walk in and you two will stay back. I'll give you commlinks and I'll tell you to jump in if you have to."

"And if you can't?" Inoichi asked, worried. 

"If you don't hear anything after two hours, that includes commlink attempts, you are to go back to Konoha. I can't chance anyone getting hurt."

Shikaku watched him, his eyes boring holes in his head, before he laid back and tried to sleep. The Nara was giving him the silent treatment. Or maybe he was just tired. Who can tell.

The morning came too fast, Shikaku was awake and ready to leave by the time Sakumo got the comms ready for the other two kids. Choza whispered something to Shikaku who just shooed him away. Knowing Choza, it was words of encouragement. 

"Remember, just go back to the village and get help. Don't try anything. You are just genin and this is supposed to be a D rank mission."

A few grumbles came from the pair but Sakumo was sure his words got across. He followed Shikaku out of the ANBU hideout, wary of both the Nara and the Kiri shinobi.

They made it to the gates without any problems. Inoichi asked if they were okay and Sakumo told them they were at the gates, ready for the hand off. All was going fine until a familiar face showed up and seized the moment to enact revenge.

They were surrounded and knocked out faster than Sakumo could get a kunai out. Either they knew he was coming and set a plan or Kiri is getting good at their speed training.

When Sakumo came to, he and Shikaku were chained to a wall in a cell. It was cold, wet, and sealed. No chance of using chakra. Sakumo tested the strength of the chains above his head. Shikaku’s legs were free from the chain but only due to his small stature the chains wouldn’t reach. The prison isn’t used to chaining up children. 

"Why did that guy jump us? This was supposed to be a D rank." Shikaku whispered. He sounded in pain.

"Are you hurt?"

"Yeah they got my side. I've been bleeding for the last hour." Shikaku's breath hitched, the pain was too much.

"I have no idea why he got us. I’ve fought that shinobi before, a long time ago. No doubt he wants revenge. I just have to speak to the Mizukage and it'll be okay." The comms were busted, Sakumo felt blood drip down from his temple. He needed to get Shikaku out of this dirty cell and to a medic.

A shadow moved outside of the cell and Sakumo took his chance. "Hey! I'm an ambassador from Konoha here to speak to the Mizukage. We've been wrongly imprisoned."

"Shut up White Fang. We know all about you. You aren't going anywhere." The disembodied voice echoed into the cell. Shikaku shivered.

"Then release the kid he's under the Hokage."

There was a beat of silence, then the shadow got closer. The guard was hidden, covered in battle gear and bandages. Sakumo could only see their eyes. The familiar eyes of his old enemy. "Fine." The guard opened the cell door moving quickly to the injured kid, inspecting his wounds. A blue chakra left the guards hands and he administered first aid.

Shikaku screamed the moment the guards hands touched his side. Healing chakra isn't supposed to hurt. He was adding pressure.

"Now child, why are you really in Kiri?" The guard added more pressure.

"We are delive - " Sakumo tried to intervene but the guard cut him off, punching him right in the stomach.

"The next time you decide to talk I'll make sure to cut something off." The guard's eyes twinkled at the thought of violence and then focused his attention on the wounded and sobbing Nara.

"I knew your daddy kid. Sucks he had to go the way he did. I'm surprised the White Fang is still allowed to roam. That must piss you off." The guard pulled a kunai out of his back pouch and pressed the sharp blade against Shikaku's face.

"Fuck you." Shikaku croaked out. Sakumo tried to test the strength of the chains again, putting more pressure on them while making sure the guard wasn't going to hurt Shikaku any more than he already was. There were a few pebbles breaking free as the screws loosened. He needed one more pull. Shikaku noticed too. 

"Leave him alone, I'm the one you want." Sakumo's first chance as a Jonin Sensei and he's already failing thanks to a fuck up from years ago.

"Shut up." The guard pressed the blade into Shikaku's face drawing blood. "What is your real plan?" The guard asked Shikaku as he split the skin on his face.

"We are here to give peace papers!" Shikaku choked, half screaming and half crying. Blood was pouring down his face from the fresh wound in his forehead. When the guard didn't believe him he moved lower, pressing the bloodied blade against his cheek.

"Try again." The guard repeated the same action and Shikaku grit his teeth. A switch had flipped and Shikaku was no longer crying. 

"I'm not going to repeat myself." Shikaku sounded calm, it scared the fuck out of Sakumo. Shikaku had managed to work his way out of the situation. He turned his head towards Sakumo, a look in his eyes told the Hatake the plan was starting now. 

"You little shit." The guard slammed his palm into the wound in Shikaku's side. The Nara returned the favor, jamming his kneecap into the guards ribs. Sakumo used the moment to pull on the chains above his head, breaking them out of the ceiling. His legs were free seconds later. While Sakumo couldn't use his chakra he had a great taijutsu sparring partner, Maito Dai.

He poured all of his pain and anger into his punches and took out the guard quickly. Shikaku had passed out from the pain or blood loss, Sakumo couldn't tell. He freed the unconscious Nara and left the cell to find the Mizukage.

It only took a few minutes to muscle into the Mizukage's office. Carrying around an unconscious kid and bleeding all over the place had helped tremendously.

He managed to grab his pack from one of the rooms in the prison on the way out. After placing Shikaku in the hands of worried medical professionals next to the Mizukage, he brandished the scroll that contained the peace treaty.

"I am sorry that my shinobi thought it would be acceptable to attack you both and lock you up." The Mizukage took the treaty and sighed. Her face looked solemn. "I hope this doesn't affect the treaty.

"If Shikaku gets the healing he needs then no. I do not wish to continue this fight." Sakumo sighed. A medic was busy healing the gash on his forehead. All he wanted to do was go and see if Shikaku was okay. The kid had been through a lot and he needed to be there.

The Mizukage signed the treaty and returned it to Sakumo. He grabbed it and left the office in search of his student.

"He lost a lot of blood and the wounds on his face will scar. He should be well enough to leave tomorrow." The nurse he walked into caught him up, to his surprise Choza and Inoichi were in the room with Shikaku.

"I thought I told you two to go back home and get help?" Sakumo should be pissed off but the kids were in Shikaku's bed holding the Nara like he was the most precious thing on the planet.

After all the anger they throw at each other he knew they would do anything for the team and that made his heart swell. Seeing Shikaku hooked up to various machines and covered in bandages did not.

"We couldn't leave. Once we left the ANBU house Kiri shinobi jumped us. We talked to the Mizukage and she didn't even know you two had walked into her village." Inoichi caught Sakumo up.

"Who attacked you?" Choza moved Shikaku's hair out of his bandaged face, the boy was pale. Sakumo sighed and sat down on the chair next to the Nara's bedside.

"An old enemy, I wish I had finished off when I had the chance." Sakumo remembered that fight. It was between just him and the Kiri shinobi. Sakumo let him live because he had a kid. He was feeling sentimental and now it came to bite him on the ass.

"When we get home are you going to discipline us?" Inoichi looked defiant.

"No, but the next time I tell you to leave and get help, you will. Understood?" Both boys nodded before laying down and cuddling close to the unconscious Nara.

This team was very different from what he was used to, maybe they will be a good influence on his son. The love and care they share for each other was something Kakashi needed in his life.

When Shikaku did wake up, he was sandwiched between his two teammates. The nurse checked his vitals and he was released an hour later.

Sakumo asked before they left if Shikaku was able to walk - he wasn't - so he let Shikaku get on his back, carrying the small Nara all the way to Konoha. 

"You know, I don't hate you." Shikaku mumbled in Sakumo's ear.

"What?"

"For what you did. The rest of the clan hates you but I don't. I knew mom and dad would fight by your side through anything and if they couldn't see any other way out, they would've listened to you."

Sakumo knew the pain of losing a family member too soon but he was 20 when his father died. He couldn't imagine a small kid, 10 years old, losing both of his parents.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Shikaku put his cheek on Sakumo's shoulder and smiled. "I did hate you at first, and I was pissed off when I found out you were my sensei, but these last few months changed my mind."

"You can still hate me, I won't say anything."

"Dad told me hating someone wasn't good for the heart. I don't hold grudges."

Sakumo chuckled. He liked the kid, never had a problem with him. Definitely like his own son. "You need to talk to Kakashi."

"Your kid? No thanks. Kids are awful."

"Yeah you're right. He is a little shit."

"Like you." Shikaku snorted, resting his whole body against his back. The extra pain medication was finally kicking in.

"More like you." Sakumo heard a small snore and smiled to himself.

Despite what he originally thought, maybe a new team of genin is what he needed to get over his crushing guilt and anger towards the system. Maybe he can train them to fight harder and hold their ground when it comes to the Hokage.

Whatever he could do to change the future generation from dealing with the worst kind of shinobi. He can't protect them forever but he can try.

**Author's Note:**

> If Shikaku isn't in my fics - is it really my fic?


End file.
